INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE: Applicant(s) hereby incorporate herein by reference, any and all U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, and other documents and printed matter cited or referred to in this application.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to mechanical crushing machines and more particularly to a portable medicament crusher.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Porter, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 285,966 describes a pill crusher design.
Gordon, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 337,828 describes a pill crusher design.
Parsons, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 405,889 describes a pill crusher apparatus design.
Tupper, U.S. Pat. No. 2,892,595 describes a portable storage and crushing device comprising a pair of hollow and openmouthed and conically-shaped interfitting resilient vessels, the inner vessel inner wall affording a storage chamber, an annular bead on the inner vessel outer wall movably and rotatably engagable with the outer vessel inner wall for spacing said walls for the formation of a crushing chamber and for initially crushing materials therebetween by downward and rotary pressure on the inner vessel, the outer vessel inner wall having an annular groove for rotatable interfitting and latching engagement with said bead upon further descent of the inner vessel after reduction in size of the crushing chamber for final comminution and for latching the vessels together.
Roseburg et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,775 describes a pulverizer generally including a bowl for receiving an object to be pulverized and a pestle movable into the bowl for pulverizing the object. This system has been improved by providing a container, which has a depression similar in shape to the shape of the bowl, which is received in the bowl and the object is pulverized in the depression of the container to prevent the pulverized material from contaminating the bowl. The container has a flap for covering the depression to hold the pulverized material in the depression. The flap is folded over the depression and locked by a suitable locking mechanism. The pestle has a generally convex but truncated downwardly facing surface, which generally con-forms to the upper surface of the bowl over the major portion of the exterior, and the bottom surface of the pestle is spaced from the bottom surface of the bowl when the pestle is mated in the bowl. A projection extends from the bottom of the pestle for localizing forces from the pestle for initially cracking hard objects, and the projection extends to the bottom surface of the bowl when the major portion of the pestle contacts the upper surface of the bowl. The pestle is rotated by a motor and it is mounted on a support, which permits the pestle to be angled in the bowl.
Dale et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,430 describes a hand-held pulverizer, which is compact and efficient to use to pulverize or grind a material. A cover is removably attached to a hollow cylindrical casing containing a mesh screen. A grinder disc is securely affixed to one end of a shaft rotatably mounted in the cover and is in frictional contact with the mesh screen. A handle attached to the shaft above the cover permits the shaft and disc to be rotated, grinding or pulverizing the material placed on the screen beneath the disc. A collecting plate attached to the bottom of the cylindrical casing receives the pulverized material falling through the screen.
Trombetti, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,930 describes a table pulverizer for crushing solid tablets into powder. The tablet pulverizer is hand-operated and includes a tubular body portion having a screen located therein for receiving the solid tablets thereon. An elongated axially movable crusher member extends into the body portion and is axially and rotatably movable to crush the solid tablets into powder form. A bottom container that is mounted on the tubular body portion at the lower end thereof receives the powder as it is filtered through the screen, the container being removable from the body portion for dispensing of the powder as required.
Hoffman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,636 describes a locking member is formed with a circular plate and an upstanding rim and is adapted to be pivoted between locked and unlocked positions beneath the head of an orbital sander. When in its locked position, the locking member holds the spindle of the sander against turning and permits the sanding pad to be unscrewed from the spindle. The plate of the locking member includes a dimple, which engages the head and causes the locking member to rotate concentrically with the head when the locking member is in its normal, unlocked position. The rim of the locking member performs a fail-safe holding function in the event the dimple fails and also prevents the locking member from being improperly installed in an upside down position.
Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,971 describes a pestle and mortar for crushing pills in pill cups and is tailored to conform to the shape of a pill cup. A conventional frustum-shaped pill cup lines a frustum-shaped receptacle in the mortar to receive a frustum-shaped pill-crushing portion of the pestle, which is nestable in the pill cup. The frustum-shaped crushing portions of the pestle and mortar distribute pressure over much of the exterior and interior surface areas of a pill cup so that pills may be crushed in eve n fragile paper pill cups without tearing or otherwise damaging the paper pill cups. Moreover, the pill cup and mortar operate as one piece and the frustum-shaped crushing portion of the pestle substantially seals the interior of the pill cup to prevent pill granules from flying out of the pill cup during a pill crushing operation.
Lavin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,996 describes a tablet pulverizer for crushing a pill or tablet, wherein the pulverizer includes a convex arm and concave arm. The concave arm has a smooth, arcuate crushing surface which nests with a smooth, convex crushing surface on the convex arm. The meshing of these smooth, arcuate, nesting arms provide a substantial crushing surface to be applied to the pill or tablet for crushing the same without damaging the pill container.
Sussman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,666 describes a portable device for pulverizing pills, tablets and the like to form a minute substantially uniform powder therefrom. The device includes a cam-driven spring biased ram, which reciprocates once on a vertical axis into and out of engagement with a pill disposed therebeneath with sufficient localized force to pulverize the pill. A microswitch interrupts power to the device until it senses that the pill is correctly disposed axially beneath the ram.
Lavin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,601 describes a tablet pulverizer for crushing a pill or tablet, wherein the pulverizer includes a convex arm and concave arm. The concave arm has a smooth, arcuate crushing surface which nests with a smooth, convex crushing surface on the convex arm. The meshing of these smooth, arcuate, nesting arms provide a substantial crushing surface to be applied to the pill or tablet for crushing the same without damaging the pill container.
Lupoli, U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,337 describes a pill crusher having a pair of pivoted handles each including a serrated jaw for crushing pills therebetween. Each jaw includes a handle-engaging portion substantially perpendicular to the jaw surface. The serrated jaw surfaces extend outwardly from the handles and have a convex curved outer perimeter for resting against a hand receiving a crushed pill. The device has finger-retaining rings and is opened and closed similarly to scissors.
Klearman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,072 describes a pill-crushing syringe including a barrel and a plunger, with abraded surfaces on each so that a pill placed in the barrel is crushed as the plunger advances within the barrel. The barrel has an aperture located near the closed end with a catheter connected around and extending from the aperture. The plunger has a sealing gland to provide an airtight seal with the barrel so that liquid may be drawn into the barrel through the aperture by withdrawing the plunger from the barrel to thereby suspend the crushed pill in the liquid, and the suspension may be flushed from the barrel by thereafter advancing the plunger into the barrel.
Klearman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,393 describes a pill-crushing syringe, which includes a barrel and a plunger, with abraded surfaces on each so that a pill placed in the barrel is crushed as the plunger advances within the barrel. The barrel has an aperture located near the closed end with a catheter connected around and extending from the aperture. The plunger has a sealing gland to provide an airtight seal with the barrel so that liquid may be drawn into the barrel through the aperture by withdrawing the plunger from the barrel to thereby suspend the crushed pill in the liquid, and the suspension may be flushed from the barrel by thereafter advancing the plunger into the barrel. In an alternative embodiment, a bi-level barrel has an aperture in spaced relation to the closed end, forming a pocket wherein the crushed pill ingredients accumulate. The pocket at the closed end and the separation between the aperture and the barrel-closed end helps prevent the medication from escaping the barrel via the catheter prior to aspiration. In still other embodiments, the syringe has a side entry plunger or two opposing plungers.
Jensen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,386 describes a device for crushing medicaments originally formed in pill of tablet contour into a fine powder. An impact device moves from a first energy stored position latched there against spring pressure awaiting tripping of the latch or cam by the pill which has been ensconced in a container embodied as an envelope. The envelope is placed in a slot and oriented to trigger a switch, which releases from a captive position the hammer. The hammer advances linearly impacting against an anvil upon which the envelope and the enclosed pill awaits. The explosive force of the hammer creates a powder substance because of the explosive nature of the hammer""s contact against the anvil. While the hammer is being withdrawn under motor drive, the envelope may be removed for access to the interior contents for subsequent dispensation.
Schulze, U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,001 describes a method and apparatus for crushing various items such as medicinal pills, foods, including garlic, and the like, wherein a biased force is applied between an item in a pocket and a boss conforming to the interior configuration of the pocket resulting in a gradual crushing of the product.
Parsons, U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,637 describes a pill crusher having an elongated base, an anvil integrally fixed to the base, a movable handle and a compression link, pivotally coupled to the base and pivotally connected to the handle, for facilitating rotational movement of the handle relative to the base. A platen is coupled pivotally to an anchor block on the base and connected at the other end to the handle so that movement of the handle produces movement of the platen relative to the anvil, for crushing a pill between the two. A pouch is provided, for receiving a pill to be crushed. It is adapted to fit in a mouth defined by the anvil and the platen. The pill crusher includes a cover fixed to the base and disposed above the rear anchor block, the cover providing an onboard dispenser for a plurality of pouches.
Barson, U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,209 describes a pill crusher with a pivotable hammer, which applies pressure to the tablets when a press applies pressure to the hammer enabling a user to quickly and securely crush tablets. The hammer and the press are pivotally connected to opposing ends of a body, which has a crushing recess. Tablets are sandwiched between cups, which are disposed in a crushing bowl. The crushing bowl is rotatably and removably located in the crushing recess. The hammer has a crushing head configured to be pivoted into the rotatable crushing bowl. The crushing head has a crushing surface configured with a pattern of alternating recessed portions and raised portions. The press is eccentrically connected and a lever which extends eccentrically from the press.
The prior art teaches manual, spring and motor driven pill crushers, but does not teach a portable solenoid driven crusher, which is therefore efficient and light weight. The present invention fulfills this need and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
This invention is distinguished over the known prior art in a multiplicity of ways. This invention does not require the application of any manual force or other physical or strenuous activity to achieve the crushing process. This invention is unique in its limited number of operational and moving parts, essentially one, primary of which is an electric solenoid which crushes the medicament to a consistency appropriate for mixing with liquids for ease of swallowing.
Cleaning is unnecessary, because of the specially designed cup sandwich, which forms part of this patent, The rustproof, corrosion Proof ram that contacts the sandwich cup is smooth, forgoing the possibility of particles becoming stuck; and cross contamination.
Utilizes a special cup sandwich, which forms part of this patent application. This special cup is a one piece double cup, hinged so that one cup fits inside the other, sandwiching the medicaments between them, thus protecting the ram from contacting the medication and preventing some of the crushed material from becoming airborne.
A solid medicine crushing apparatus comprises: a solenoid mounted within an enclosure, wherein the solenoid engages a crushing ram in an attitude for moving vertically downward when the solenoid is energized. A return spring engaged with the ram moves the ram to a starting position when the solenoid is deenergized. A cup assembly is used for holding a medicine to be crushed. The cup assembly includes an outer cup and an inner cup, where the outer and the inner cups are joined with a living hinge such that the inner cup is able to be rotated from a side-by-side position with the outer cup, to a position within the outer cup. A medicine is placed in the outer cup, the inner cup is then rotated into the outer cup to sandwich the medicine between the outer cup and the inner cup. The cups with the medicine are placed into the enclosure which is sealed by closing an interlocked door of the enclosure. The solenoid is then energized to bring the crushing ram into contact with the inner cup to crush the medicine.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that provides advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide such an invention capable of crushing medicines without manual work.
A further objective is to provide such an invention capable of crushing medicines in a manner wherein all portions of the crushed medicine are retrieved.
A still further objective is to provide such an invention capable of small size, portable power, rechargeable and safe to use.